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QMI AGENCY

Former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison has at least one backer in his bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes.

Glendale city manager Ed Beasley.

In fact, Beasley told azcentral.com that he expects Jamison to close a deal to buy the team very soon.

"The league has said they're in support of Jamison and would like him to stay the course," Beasley said.

That statement might be a little premature though, since NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league's board of governors, which would need to approve any sale of the Coyotes, has not yet looked at any new buyer. Daly added that the league has not set a deadline for the sale or looked at relocation possibilities.

At a Glendale budget meeting this week, Beasley said Jamison told him he'd "feel comfortable" adjusting the city's first-year arena management payment to $17 million. The budget proposed by the City of Glendale calls for $20 million payments for the next four year and $15 million starting in 2017.

SHALLA SIGNS

Two-time 40-goal scorer Josh Shalla of the Saginaw Spirit signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Pedators Tuesday.

Shalla, a fourth-round pick of the Predators in the 2011 NHl draft, had 40 goals and 36 assists in 53 games with the Spirit this season. That was slightly better than his output in 2010-11, when he had 47 goals and 25 assists in 68 games.

The 20-year-old from Whitby, Ont., is the Spirit's career scoring leader, with 119 goals.

Earlier this week Shalla tweeted that he was joining the Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, for the playoffs.

EX-NHLER SKATES IN DUBAI

Bet former Stanley Cup winner Valeri Zelepukin has that game against the Dubai Mighty Camels circled on his calendar.

Zelepukin, who won the Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and played 595 NHL games, will be back on the ice this weekend for the Dubai International Ice Hockey Tournament, facing the likes of the Mighty Camels and Canada's own Redneck Express. The 43-year-old will suit up for a Russian team, Arctic, in the 22-team tournament.

The tournament is popular and has been going on annually since the early 1990s," Ron Murphy, the chairman of the organising committee, told Abu Dhabi English-language paper, The National. "Arctic from Russia have won the Elite Championship two years in a row and have a very good team with a lot of former Russian professional players playing for them."

Arctic and Fenix of Russia, Redneck Express, the Black Tigers of Italy, the FBC Lions Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Scorpions and the Dubai Mighty Camels Blacks and Whites will play in the Elite group.